A dirty Seine, a disastrous name mix-up and dreadful food — mon dieu! The Paris Olympics aren’t yet through their first weekend and already there have been a variety of faux pas.
And we’re not even talking about the weather.
Meant as a display of international unity, the Olympic Games promise record-breaking athletic prowess and startling upsets as observers delight in the pomp and circumstance, and the inevitable moments of cringe.
Scandals and controversies have plagued previous Olympics, of course, ranging from the benign, like a torch not lighting during the 2010 Games opening ceremony in Vancouver, to the political, such as the 1980 Games held in Moscow that were boycotted by 65 countries over the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
But Paris is off to a fast start.
Here are the moments that already have not gone according to plan:
— The four-hour opening ceremony showcased the best of French culture, including its vibrant LGBTQ+ community in a drag show that featured winners from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and a performance by Lady Gaga. Part of the performance included the drag queens in a sketch that resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” mural of Jesus Christ and his disciples, prompting a swift response from Catholic leaders decrying the display.
— In a major diplomatic mix-up, South Korea’s athletes were introduced as coming from North Korea during the opening ceremony. The Olympic Committee president apologized to Seoul, calling the mistake “very regrettable.” It’s not the first time Olympic officials have confused the two countries. During the 2012 London Olympics, organizers displayed the South Korean flag ahead of a women’s football match between North Korea and Colombia, delaying the game for more than an hour.
— The last misstep during the opening ceremony — at least that people have so far flagged — came in the final minute when members of the French military unfurled the Olympic flag … upside down.
— Swimming in the River Seine has been banned for more than a century because of concerns over water quality and high levels of the bacteria E. coli in the water. Olympic organizers had their hearts set on the Games reversing the ban, with several of the events planned to use the river. Those hopes were dashed on Sunday when water testing revealed unsafe levels of bacteria, forcing officials to cancel a pre-race triathlon event.
— “The food is a disaster, to say the least,” German athletes told the media, saying cafeteria lines in the Olympic Village are long and the quality of the cuisine isn’t great. “If you’re looking for something to complain about, it’s the food situation in the Village, which is not what you would imagine as a competitive athlete,” team captain Mats Grambusch told the German Press Agency.
— Adidas hoped to use the lead up to the Paris Games to revive its retro SL72 sneaker, which was first popularized in 1972 during the Munich Games. Those Olympics ended in tragedy after eleven Israelis were killed by the Palestinian group Black September during a hostage crisis. The 2024 ads featured half-Palestinian model Bella Hadid, which Israel quickly condemned as antisemitic. The German shoe brand has since pulled the ad and issued an apology to Hadid.
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